Cataloging and Metadata Commons^™

Ethos: A Computational Framework For Material Culture Research, Chelsea L. Grafe

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Museum catalog records make large collections searchable, but they do not always preserve the reasoning behind the claims they contain. A record may present a quilt's identity as settled while leaving the reasoning behind that claim invisible, making it difficult for later researchers to check, question, or reuse. This project asks whether museum catalog data can be analyzed in a way that keeps each analytical claim connected to the evidence that supports it. To test this question, the project applies a material-first computational framework named Ethos. Ethos formalizes an object-centered inquiry sequence in which material dependencies establish where analysis begins …

Searching Smarter, Connecting Better, Abby Veiman

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

In Searching Smarter, Connecting Better, Abby Veiman reflects on her experience as a data-driven researcher to reimagine the future of research libraries. Drawing from her work as an Ameritas Research Assistant in Actuarial Science and Risk Management, she highlights how modern research is increasingly digital, analytical, and dependent on technological infrastructure rather than physical materials. Veiman argues that libraries must continue evolving beyond access to databases by strengthening technological capacity, supporting responsible AI integration, and providing clearer guidance on the effective and ethical use of emerging research tools. She emphasizes the need for libraries to serve as trusted institutions …

From Panels To Shelves: The Evolving Intersection Of Comics And Italian Libraries. History, Issues, Perspectives, Andrea Tosti

SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education

Despite comics' popularity and cultural significance in Italy, its integration into Italian libraries has been slow, problematic, and uneven. This is reflected in the scarcity of academic research on the topic, which demands further in-depth exploration.

In the context of Italian libraries, characterized by chronic underfunding and staffing shortages, comics might be perceived as a low priority. However, as essential cultural institutions, libraries must strive to reflect both the contemporary era and the evolving reading habits of their audience. Comics, in this regard, could prove to be – and in part already are – a critical resource, a 'booster' for …

Audiovisual Metadata Platform Pilot Development (Amppd), Final Project Report, Jon W. Dunn, Ying Feng, Juliet L. Hardesty, Brian Wheeler, Maria Whitaker, Thomas Whittaker, Shawn Averkamp, Bertram Lyons, Amy Rudersdorf, Tanya Clement, Liz Fischer

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

This report documents the experience and findings of the Audiovisual Metadata Platform Pilot Development (AMPPD) project, which has worked to enable more efficient generation of metadata to support discovery and use of digitized and born-digital audio and moving image collections. The AMPPD project was carried out by partners Indiana University Libraries, AVP, University of Texas at Austin, and New York Public Library between 2018-2021.

University Libraries 2020-2022 Strategic Plan

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

The 2020 Strategic Planning Team: Kelly Connor, Karin Dalziel, Lorna Dawes, Zach Eden, Regina Flowers, Ana Gomez, Lori Harvey, Andrew Jewell (chair), Charlene Maxey-Harris, Tom McFarland, Catherine Fraser Riehle, Claire Stewart

The goal of this plan is to push the University Libraries forward toward a more fully realized achievement of its mission, to enact our commitment to ethical and equitable practices and policies, and to ambitiously grow as a 21st century academic library. This plan is not inclusive of everything that we do; there are many valuable activities and services that are not mentioned, and that is not meant to …

Mapping Metadata At A Public University, Blake Graham, Harriet Wintermute, Margaret Mering

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

This session explores the purpose of metadata application profiles (MAP), and how a team of practitioners at a public university developed a single MAP representing metadata elements and values from multiple repositories.

Download is a pdf file.

PowerPoint (.pptx) slides attached below.

Unl Libraries Book Use By Broad Discipline (Social Sciences, Sciences, And Humanities): Circulations And Renewals: Books Acquired 2003/04 – 2007/08 Via Approval Plan Selection, Librarian Firm Order, And Ill Patron-Driven Acquisition, David C. Tyler, Brianna D. Hitt

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

On numerous occasions over the course of the UNL Libraries’ continuing discussions concerning the allocation of collections monies, the UNL Libraries’ liaison librarians have made a variety of assertions, arguments, and claims concerning their patrons and their patrons’ needs. For example, the humanities librarians have repeatedly staked a claim to the humanities’ being the “book” discipline and have made a variety of assertions concerning humanities patrons and humanities books that could be treated as testable hypothesis.

For example:

1) Humanities patrons use books more than do other disciplines’ patrons;

2) Humanities patrons use more books than do other disciplines’ patrons; …

Metadata Horizons, Sue Ann Gardner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

Question: What do you see are the near-term horizon issues that will impact Metadata Services and how should we position ourselves to continue to evolve?

Concerns: Technology, society, work force.

Academic Program Review, University Libraries, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln: Self-Study Report

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

University Libraries, University of Nebraska‐Lincoln, Academic Program Review: Self‐Study Report, January 2017

Introduction

Background

Strategic Directions 2017‐2020

Progress on 2010 APR Recommendations

Liaison Model

Mentoring

Media and Digital Arts

Administrative Structure

Summary of Libraries Accomplishments and Contributions

Resources

Spaces and Technology

People

Strategic Partnerships

Organizational Culture, Communication, and Decision Making

Conclusion

Appendix 1. Office of Institutional Research and Planning Data Set

Appendix 2. UNL Libraries Strategic Directions 2017‐2020

Appendix 3. UNL and NU Mission Statements and Strategic Plans

Appendix 4. Organizational Charts

Appendix 5. University Libraries Appointment and Promotion Procedures and Deliberations

Appendix 6. Faculty Bylaws and Tenure and Promotion …

University Of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Archives And Special Collections Organizational Analysis, Carol Pitts Diedrichs

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

Libraries everywhere are undergoing tremendous transformation in staffing, services, and collections. Archives and special collections are growing in importance and are moving quickly from the perimeter to the center of library activities and services. The University of Nebraska Lincoln Libraries invited me to conduct and facilitate a 1.5 day workshop/retreat on trends and strategic goals/initiatives for archives and special collections including review of the current organizational structure, staffing and services. The workshop/retreat focused on the following goals:

To hone strategic goals for UNL Archives and Special Collections over the next 3-5 years including evaluation of related staffing needs;

To identify …

Report Of The Liaison Models Team [University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Librares], Toni Anaya, Andrew D. Cano, Lorna Dawes, Kiyomi D. Deards, Erica Defrain, Liz Lorang, Suping Lu, Charlene Maxey-Harris, Ted Naylor

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

Overview and Purpose Statement

In February 2016, Charlene Maxey-Harris proposed a charge to the UNL Libraries faculty to review the local liaison program. The original charge was for the creation of a team to investigate different, new liaison models and research that will allow the Libraries to restructure the current system to develop more collaborative partnerships with research centers and departments; improve the way liaisons communicate and interact with departments, research centers, and other new campus initiatives; allow liaisons to work in their areas of strength; and find ways to assess the impact of liaison engagement and outreach. The information …

University Of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Workflow And Organizational Analysis, Carol Pitts Diedrichs, Lisa German

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

Libraries everywhere are undergoing tremendous transformation in staffing, services, and collections. With the need to create new programs and services, it is critical that resources are deployed in the most efficient way possible. Library workforces across the country are aging and succession planning is important for libraries to thrive. The University of Nebraska at Lincoln Libraries invited us to review staffing, examine the organizational structure, communication pathways, and general workflows in the DARM and to make recommendations for changes that would improve and enhance service quality, improve productivity, and best align library faculty and staff with organizational priorities and needs. …

Oai-Pmh Harvested Collections & User Engagement, Deeann Allison

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Discovery tools are used in libraries to bring together books, articles, and other resources. Research has focused on user and librarian evaluation of these tools, but there are few evaluations of non-book and non-article sources. Discovery tools can also include metadata for local collections harvested through the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). Creating these harvests can be time consuming for staff, so it is important for libraries to understand if and how patrons use these records. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries (UNL Libraries) harvests metadata from local collections into the Encore discovery tool. A study was conducted …

Foxes Propose New Guidelines For Henhouse Design: Comments On Niso’S Proposed Open Access Metadata Standards, Paul Royster

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

This commentary is in response to: NISO RP-22-201x, Open Access Metadata and Indicators (draft for comment), which is available at: http://www.niso.org/apps/group_public/document.php?document_id=12047

NISO is the National Information Standards Organization, a non-profit industry organization whose mission statement reads: “NISO fosters the development and maintenance of standards that facilitate the creation, persistent management, and effective interchange of information so that it can be trusted for use in research and learning.” Their recently-issued proposed guidelines for new metadata fields to be attached to scholarly works purport to address and clarify issues of access and re-licensing surrounding the electronic distribution of journal articles. Briefly, they …

Rethinking The C. Y. Thompson Library For The 21st Century Task Force Report, Mark Balschweid, Larry Van Tassell, Jill Brown, Charlene Maxey-Harris, Nancy J. Busch, Vishal Singh, Jeanetta Drueke, Sue Voss, Tom Field

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

The C. Y. Thompson (CYT) Library enjoys a location central to east campus. This creates an ideal setting for CYT to serve as a hub for activities of all kinds. And, based upon the feedback from online surveys and face-to-face focus groups, there is no shortage of interest and ideas for how CYT can become the premier gathering place on UNL’s east campus for users from all backgrounds. In spite of this, the primary question needing to be addressed is ‘what is C. Y. Thompson’? Is it a building? Is it a library? Is it something entirely different? The task …

Rda: Nebraska’S Approach To Preparing For The Change, Sue Ann Gardner, Robin Bernstein

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Details the origin and purpose of the Nebraska RDA Practice Group, active in 2012.

Preservation And Access In An Age Of E-Science And Electronic Records: Sharing The Problem And Discovering Common Solutions, Claire Stewart

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

As academic libraries grapple with the challenge of preserving their own digitized special collections, intensification of interest in preserving other electronic content may present opportunities to collaborate with organizations on campus. This article offers a brief introduction to some of the core issues in digital preservation and suggests an orientation to the problems that can be helpful in thinking about how to join forces with others on campus.

Scrutinizing Cataloging Copy, Julie Banks

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

In order to determine if cataloging copy today is as acceptable as past copy, the researcher compared additions and corrections to a random sample of monographic copy that corresponded to the books that went through the cataloging department during 2006 at Southeast Missouri State University with previously reported editing work from several libraries. The outcome was that more editing was required today, but it was not possible to identify whether this was due to the rapidly changing cataloging environment or to the higher level of editing performed.

Report Of Task Force On Metadata Analysis, Margaret Mering, Scott Childers, Adonna Fleming, Sue Ann Gardner, Charity K. Martin, Judith Wolfe

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

This report :
/="/"> 1. Provides a brief overview of the different metadata schemes that are available.
/="/"> 2. Identifies the various metadata schemes being used to search and access information and digital content in the UNL Libraries.
/="/"> 3. Provides an analysis of the state of cross-searching among the various metadata schemes.
/="/"> 4. Provides recommendations on how UNL should decide which metadata schemes to use and when to use them.

Usability Testing At Florida International University Libraries: What We Learned, Sarah J. Hammill

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

The Florida International University Libraries’ Web site’s new look was launched in Fall 2001. As a result of the new look, a group formed to undertake a usability study on the top page of the site. The group tested three target groups to determine the usability of the top page. The study pointed out some revisions for the top page; however, more importantly, it suggested areas for future research.

The Coverage And Duplication Of Journals In Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (Csa): Bioengineering Database And Other Science And Engineering Databases, Lutishoor Salisbury, Emilio Noguera

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

As collection development librarians we aim to provide comprehensive information access to our users in order to support their research and curricular needs. For academic libraries, like the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, that support the information needs within a range of subject areas in science and technology, it makes economic sense to attempt to provide this access in discipline-oriented databases. Discipline-oriented databases cover a range of subjects but also provide depth in coverage.

Bearing this in mind, the journals that are indexed in Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA) Bioengineering database were analyzed to ascertain the degree of overlap with other …

A Survey Of Four Libraries In Kunming: Library Automation And Modernization In A Far Removed Province In China, Jianli Li, Mary Francis Marx

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

As of 2000, over the last fifteen years, in a major effort at modernization and with an increasing investment by the Chinese government, China established more than twenty national information systems. The libraries we visited were member of some of those national information systems. These national information systems have been charged with setting up the basic foundations of an information industry. They belong to, respectively, the Education System, the Cultural Ministry, the Science and Technology Committee System, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Cataloging Expert Systems: Optimism And Frustrated Reality, William Olmstadt

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

There is little question that computers have profoundly changed how information professionals work. The process of cataloging and classifying library materials was one of the first activities transformed by information technology. The introduction of the MARC format in the 1960s and the creation of national bibliographic utilities in the 1970s had a lasting impact on cataloging. In the 1980s, the affordability of microcomputers made the computer accessible for cataloging, even to small libraries. This trend toward automating library processes with computers parallels a broader societal interest in the use of computers to organize and store information. Following World War II, …

Are Transaction Logs Useful? A Ten-Year Study, Julie Banks

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

Transaction log analysis has long been a staple in academic libraries. Recently, for example, authors have reported on transaction logs and their use in identifying access point use, re-engineering the online public access catalog (OPAC), improving search retrieval, utilizing flip charts at terminals, and employing log data for general personnel management. There are still questions left unanswered, however, about the usefulness of transaction log analysis in marshalling personnel resources. One is whether the logs have predictive value over a span of time, and another is whether any useful trends can be discerned from the logs' data. To answer these …

Metadata In A Digital Special Library: The Energy And Environmental Information Resources Center In Lafayette, Louisiana, Dan Foley

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

This paper discusses three kinds of metadata and how they are used in the Energy & Environmental Information Resources Center (EE-IR Center), a digital special library of text, numeric, and geospatial data, located in Lafayette, Louisiana. These metadata are Dublin Core (DC), MARC21 (formerly USMARC), and Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata.

The EE-IR Center was formed as a partnership between the National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC) of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Center for Advanced Computer Studies of the University of Southwestern Louisiana (CACS/USL). Both partners are located in Lafayette, Louisiana. The EE-IR Center is funded by a …